It is known to perform particular operations on asymmetric articles which require the article to be oriented in a particular disposition when the operation is performed. In particular certain operations such as label printing, cartoning and the like require specific article orientation about the vertical axis of the article.
Particularly, in view of packaging into cartons articles which have asymmetric features present the need for specific orientation for handling.
In one known process articles are carried in a carrier known as a “puck” which receives and holds the articles for handling and motion through the process. Such pucks are generally rectangular in shape with sides elongated in a direction of travel. While such flat-sided pucks hold the articles in one orientation, handling of the pucks is problematic due to their shape and external configuration. For example, while the pucks might be accumulate, that requires they be lined up end-to-end and thus a very long accumulator apparatus. They cannot be accumulated en masse and randomly as the rotation and orientation around a vertical access is then random and the desired orientation of the articles is lost. Re-orientation is complicated by the straight sided pucks.
Moreover, conveying or transporting rectangular pucks is problematical. The pucks skew, jam or otherwise generate orientation problems.
Another known process for article orientation is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,248, incorporated herein by reference for background purposes. That patent shows a carrier having a recessed tooth assembly with end teeth on opposite ends of an aligning flat and conveyed by an underlying conveyor.
Puck transfer is by frictional bias from the underlying conveyor and the pucks are not spaced by nor positively transferred by the conveyor. A side rack has teeth at a decreasing tooth pitch, and the pucks are blown against an alignment rail.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide improved article handling structure providing smoother, gentler and more positive puck control including positively driving the puck at desired pitch through a rotationally orienting section. It is further desired to provide apparatus and methods for handling asymmetric articles, in a way to repeatably, consistently and accurately orient the articles through transport at high speeds of production lines.
A further objective of the invention is to provide apparatus and methods for efficiently and randomly accumulating asymmetric articles and then orienting such articles after accumulation.
A further objective of the invention has been to provide improved apparatus and methods for transporting and orienting asymmetric articles.
A further objective of the invention has been to transport, carry and orient asymmetric articles through or in a plurality of stations or filling, sealing, accumulating, labeling, dating, inspecting or other processes wherein the articles, prior to or after such processes, are desirably angularly oriented relative their vertical axis.